At a small gathering held at the Garbutt family farm, Garbutt Construction Company celebrated its largest group of co-op students to date. Participants in the Summer 2020 Co-op Program include Wade Brantley, Tucker Brown, Matt Chambers, Alex Cook, Holton Darley, Cole Rozar, Logan Strickland, and Zach Williamson. Each semester, Garbutt Construction hosts students from construction management programs at universities across the state. While obtaining a college degree is a vital step in laying the foundation for a student’s career, Garbutt Construction strongly believes that the benefits of acquiring job-related experience are similarly important for a student’s overall understanding of the industry they plan to enter. These students fill full-time, paid positions where they work on active construction projects for a truly hands-on experience. The goal of the program is to expose these up and coming construction industry professionals to the multifaceted world of construction while giving Garbutt Construction a view of their potential for future employment. Students gain indispensable knowledge of the construction industry and processes that will show future employers their capability to excel in all duties and tasks required, often giving them an edge over their peers.
This celebration was bittersweet, as it not only represented the end of a great summer with these individuals but also great opportunities for the next group of co-op students. While we look forward to the future, a few key aspects stood out with this group of Co-ops. A unique and positive member of this group is Logan Strickland who is Garbutt’s first female co-op. We are always excited to grow the construction industry with women construction professionals and we are confident Logan will be a great asset to the industry. Another interesting aspect of the Summer 2020 group is that 5 of the 8 participants are local to Laurens County, which proves that construction talent is close to home for Garbutt Construction.
Garbutt’s Co-op Program is in its third year and continues to grow and improve. Our co-op students serve a one semester term before resuming regular classes. If interested, the students generally have the option of returning for additional terms or even as a full-time employee upon graduation. This summer we were excited to welcome back two returning co-ops for their third semester with Garbutt Construction.
Many of the co-ops spoke highly about their time working with the Garbutt team. “I never felt that I was just given a task to keep me busy or out of the way. This allowed me to take pride in what I was doing. It was also great to see the work I was doing lead to something tangible,” shared a student. Most agreed that they enjoyed the family-like work environment demonstrated at Garbutt Construction Company and the opportunity to have a hands-on learning experience on an actual jobsite.
President Sean Moxley was very pleased with the work performed by each of the students in the co-op program this semester, describing them as a “very talented group.” Garbutt Construction looks forward to growing the co-op program and facilitating an educational experience for individuals that have a desire to work in the construction industry. “The program’s success has led it to become a mainstay of Garbutt Construction’s recruiting efforts,” says company CEO Charlie Garbutt. It has been a pleasure working with the young men and women in the 2020 Summer Co-op Program and we wish them success in their future endeavors.